American Jews are highly supportive of Israel, a new survey indicates.
Commissioned by the 65,000-strong Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting (CAMERA), it was conducted on 16-17 May by Frank Luntz PhD, of Luntz Global.
To quote CAMERA:
"Results show strong belief in Israel's commitment to peace efforts and apprehension about its existential situation and its Palestinian adversaries with their "culture of hatred." Survey respondents also expressed strong support for Israel's right to self-defense and opposition to those who would pressure or sanction the Jewish State."Knowing that some polls are of limited value, since the sample is too small to be valid or the methodology flawed, I showed the poll's detailed results to an expert in polling data. He assures me that all's shipshape and Bristol-fashion, as the saying goes, and that in consequence the results of the poll are "very encouraging".
Some of the findings:
85% are committed to seeing genuine peace established between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs;
78% of respondents consider it "very to 100% necessary" for Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, with an additional 12% considering it "somewhat necessary";
77% are far more sceptical regarding the Palestinian commitment to peace and consider Palestinian incitement against Israel – its "culture of hatred" – to be a major obstacle to that goal, whereas only 12% sawsettlements or "occupation" as stumbling blocks.
78% of respondents consider it "very to 100% necessary" for Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, with an additional 12% considering it "somewhat necessary";
Over two-thirds of respondents fear such a Palestinian state on the West Bank would shortly "attack Israel" and 72% fear Iran would back "more terror" by Palestinians against Israel;
In the wake of the recent Fatah-Hamas accord, 77% believe Israel should "refuse to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority until Hamas renounces terrorism and officially recognizes Israel's right to exist;
Given the fact that over a million Arabs live in Israel, 92% strongly support the contention that Jews should be allowed to live in any future Palestinian state;
On the domestic political front, 81% would be more likely to vote for a representative who publicly deplored Palestinian incitement;
71% oppose boycott, divestment and sanction campaigns against Israel, and 68% oppose such measures against settlements.
Enthuses CAMERA's Executive Director, Andrea Levin:
"The poll results dramatically contradict recent speculation about disaffection among American Jews toward the Jewish state. Ninety-four percent of respondents said if Israel ‘no longer existed tomorrow' it would be a tragedy. Nearly one in four said they would consider such an event ‘the biggest tragedy of my lifetime.' The concern is reflected in emphatic sentiment (85%) that Israel ‘is right to take threats to its existence seriously,' that Israel's concerns are neither ‘irrational' nor ‘overstated.'
Some news media accounts have tended to amplify a vocal fringe in the American Jewish community that espouses extreme views and policies far out of the mainstream. This poll clarifies what American Jews actually feel and believe.
Source: http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=2050The overwhelming majority of American Jews are cognizant of threats to Israel, protective of the country, cautious about risks and strongly opposed to such measures as boycotts, including boycotts of settlements."
For the full results see: http://www.camera.org/images_user/pdf/luntz.camera%20poll.results.final.pdf
See also: http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2011/04/american-jewrys-fight.php
for the encouraging results of other polls.
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ReplyDeleteMany thanks - hope you find other posts of interest!
ReplyDeleteAnd if you believe a CAMERA poll devised by ultra-Repubublican Luntz, I have a bridge to sell you.
ReplyDeleteThere are also the two polls mentioned by Caroline Glick (see my link at end of post) - she begins:
ReplyDeleteOver the past year or so, American Jewish opponents of Israel like writer and activist Peter Beinart have sought to intimidate and demoralize Israelis by telling us that American Jews either no longer support us or will stop supporting us if we don't give in to all the Arabs' demands.
But statistical evidence exposes these threats as utter lies. According to mountainous survey evidence, the American Jewish community writ large remains deeply supportive of Israel. Two surveys released last year by the American Jewish Committee and Brandeis University's Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies showed that three quarters of American Jews care deeply about Israel and that Israel is an important part of their Jewish identity. The Brandeis survey notably showed that young American Jews are no less likely to support Israel than they were in the past.
In fact, American Jews under 30 are more hawkish about the Palestinian conflict with Israel than Jews between the ages of 31-40 are.
....
"Support For Israel Is High Among American Jews, New Poll Finds
ReplyDeleteThis might be the light at the end of the tunnel, but - should they vote Obama in again, then that light might be the headlights of an oncoming train ! :(
A. Beinart isn't anti-Israel. He's anti the kind of Israel you appear to want (an apartheid state)
ReplyDeleteB. The only American Jews under 30 who are more hawkish than the previous generation are the nationalist Orthodox and they are a minority within a minority within a minority. In other words, among the majority (Reform, secular and Conservative Jews), if anyone cares about Israel, they care for it to be a Jewish and democratic state, not some kind of latter-day Boer state.